Mt 23:23-26 From the Outside In

Mt 23:23-26  From the Outside In

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Jesus said:  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.  You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence.” 

A few days ago, I wrote that “Atheists believe the world goes round and round; that is, it is what it is.  Christians as well believe the world goes round and round, but upside down; that is, it isn’t what it is.” 

Upside down and outside in.  Let us pray for all our moms and dads who continue to kill themselves for the insignificant and deny themselves of the significant.  Let our thoughts go out to all our dads who continue to bust their behind for a fancier car, a bigger boat, a larger paycheck and a better yard but do not lift a finger for their spouse and family.  Let us pray for all our moms who continue to kill themselves for greater glory, greater praise and greater independence but have neglected to care for their spouse and family. 

This is life lived upside down.  This is an exercise in Futility. 

Let us pray for our boys who continue to build their bodies, but not their souls.  For our girls who wish to perfect their bodies, but not their souls.  This is life lived outside in. 

The Sensationalist.  Those who deceive (who love to be bad) love to play God.  They love to turn the truth upside down, as if we were standing on our heads, until it hurts our heads.  In our upside down world we want to be able to tell God what He should do; to tell Him what marriage is, what family is, what love is, what life is all about.  We even want to tell Him what sex is! 

What does it take to be remembered forever?  What does it take to get noticed; to get your name in print?  Be a sensationalist.  Mix some good with a lot more bad.  For example:  If you want to be a big time singer, then it’s important to have a good voice.  But it’s even more important to lose your faith.  If you want to be a political activist, then you should know a little bit of history and take a lot of lessons in singing.  But it’s even more important that you know what to name your band.  It should be something more shocking and perverted than the bands before you. 

Want some to notice you?  Don’t step in Church, step on the Church! 

By the way...If you are starting up your own Church and need a large congregation, then you should know a little bit about the bible and a lot about lighting and music.  Make sure you know that Jesus said he would return, and make sure your people think it's NOW, and you will have a very large congregation! 

Now “flashists” and sensationalists have no place in Christianity.  St Paul asks the community of believers in Thessalonica not to be shaken out of their minds by a “spirit”, or by an oral statement, or by a letter allegedly from one of them to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand.  “Let no one deceive you in any way” (cf. 2Thes 2:3a). 

The sensationalist is full of it; that is, full of sin.  He tends to crave more of that which is sensationally sinful than that which is sensationally true.  He tends to be drawn towards sensationalism, like temptation and to crave it like a drug. 

In reality, what is truly sensational is what we call “common”.  An apple falling from a tree is just as sensational as a rover landing on Mars.  Both were designed.  Both serve multiple purposes.  Both carry out functions that are truly remarkable.  But the apple falling from the tree far out functions, out performs and far exceeds (or far out-seeds) all rovers combined. 

Predicting the end times and preaching about it have always been a great source of revenue for many denominations.  We love what is sensational.  And we are always scanning the horizon for the next sensation to happen.  We live for it, and when we are through with it, we look again to satiate our appetite; looking for the next sensation, which is typically more daring, thrilling, appealing and appalling. 

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through his grace, encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word.  (cf. 2Thes 2:17)

Christian prayer is not sensational; it is very straightforward. 

Mt 18:21-19:1 Making God Evident

Mt 18:21-19:1  Making God Evident

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Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him?  As many as seven times?”  Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times...”

The “absence of evidence” should not be confused as “evidence of absence”.  When someone says that God is not very evident it does not mean he is absent.  It means they should continue asking, seeking and knocking.  If I can’t see God, the reason may very well be because He stands behind me.  It doesn’t mean he is absent from me. 

If I have never had a steak, it doesn’t mean that steaks do not exist.  If I have never been married, it doesn’t mean that marriage is overrated.  If I have been stuck in a lousy marriage, it doesn’t mean that marriage is lousy.  If I rarely ever experienced the warmth of my father or the love of my mother, it does not mean that God does not exist.  If anything, it means that sin exists.

There have been far too many individuals who lacked normalcy and made up for it with atrocity.  I recently finished reading a book by Paul Johnson entitled, “Intellectuals”.  It’s an interesting little book that describes in detail (at times disgusting detail) the dysfunctional, immoral, and egocentric lives of some of the greatest “intellectuals” of recent memory.   But what is even more shocking is the tremendous influence these perverted, twisted and confused individuals had on human thought and behavior?  I personally think we point to them because we can use them in justifying our own addictive personalities, lifestyles, sexual promiscuities, etc.  After all, why love Christ who tells me I’m wrong when I can love Marx who tells me I’m right?

It is amazing just how a few individuals could cause an exuberant amount of pain, misery and confusion on the rest of humanity.  

Now if I were to surmise what drove all of them to great sadness or madness and to advocate great evil, I would have to say it was based on the following evidence:  an absence of evidence. 

Evil is the absence of good. 

In other words, since these individuals never experienced a healthy family life, a solid Christian education, love, forgiveness, mercy and compassion, then, based on the evidence (or lack of), they concluded that such things do not really exist. 

God is love.  And the problem with God being love (if there is a problem with that), is that love is evident yet mysterious.  Love is like the sun.  The sun helps us to see clearly everything around us, except the sun!  We can’t stare at it, unless it is clouded over; and then, we can’t see it clearly – as it truly is.

Forgiveness and giving is evidence of love.  If we love, then we forgive and give.  If we do not love, then it remains absent. 

The Lord told Peter, “You must forgive, always.”   The problem with intellectuals is that if there is nothing to forgive, then there is nothing to give.  This only makes the world’s problems even worse. 

 How often must I forgive?  Always.  And this will keep God evident in our world.   

This is how they will know you belong to me (cf. Jn 13:35).

Mt 14:22-36 Walking On Water

Mt 14:22-36  Walking On Water
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When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea they were terrified.  “It is a ghost”, they said, and they cried out in fear.  At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”  Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”  He said, “Come.”

These past few days I’ve been on vacation in New York and have had the opportunity to watch some of the Olympics.  I love the sportsmanship, competition and of course, the victories.  What I don’t enjoy are the commentators.  They can be very annoying, especially when they give their opinions.  I’ve noticed a pattern in their comments:  that if a team is winning it’s because they are very confident in themselves, and if they are losing it’s because they’ve lost all their confidence.  God forbid they are losing because they didn’t work as hard as the other team.  God forbid it’s because they never expected a challenge. 

I don’t know about you, but I remember busting my behind in College to get good grades.  I didn’t bust it because I was confident in myself; I busted it because I lacked confidence in myself.  Thank God!    I also remember some students waiting till the last minute to study for a test because they thought it would be easy.  I began to see a pattern:  those who thought the test would be easy scored low; those who thought it would be difficult, scored high.

Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on water.  His problems began when he had far more confidence in the power of the storms (and wind) than in the power of the Son of God.  There are two correct ways to read this Gospel:  either Peter sank because he had more confidence in himself than in God or because he had more confidence in what others were saying and doing and less confidence in what God says and does.

It’s bad enough if we only listen to ourselves.  It’s worse when we only listen to what others have to say.  What we need is balance and order:  first God and everything else will fall into place.  We need to place much more confidence in God, our Creator and redeemer; the One who has proven, time and time again, the love He has for us.

I love myself because the Lord first loved me.  I believe in myself, because I believe in God.  I trust in myself, because I first trust in the Lord.  If I can do some good, it’s because the Lord taught me what is good. 

In 2007, over 90,000 young girls and boys underwent plastic surgery.  They did it not to correct any life threatening problem or an objective defect.  They did it because they were being bullied by classmates.  Just recently, one young lady has been appearing on TV over and over again, giving free advertisement to an organization that does such deeds.  Her mother defended her daughter’s decision because she was being bullied in school.  Kids would often make fun of her ears, calling her “Dumbo”.  When a reporter asked the young girl how she looked (after her surgery), she said she had no regrets:  “I look beautiful, this is exactly what I wanted, I love it.”   

I thought she wanted the bullying to stop. 

Hm…I have a feeling this young girl will learn a very hard lesson.  In our world full of sinners (bullies), the only way to stop a sinner is not by believing them, appeasing them or seeking their approval, but by converting them by showing them who you will believe. 

I fear for this young girl.  Her classmates may stop calling her “Dumbo”, but what will stop them from calling her “Plastic face”?  And then…what will she do?  What will her mother do?

In my opinion, this was a great victory for the bullies; and a tremendous defeat for common sense.

My fear is that this is the beginning of a new market.  Already so many of our elementary school kids get their teeth whitened, false nails fastened, and hair colored.  Why?  Because someone in their class did it first.  Actually, some parent, in their class, allowed it first.   Slowly, but gradually, these common procedures will expand to different areas of the body and become less expensive, more attractive and a nightmare for good parents and children and a victory for business and overly confident parents that see what bullies see:  “imagined defects” in their children. 

The day will come when a child is bullied for not having had plastic surgery!   Children will demand to have the “perfect” ears, “perfect” nose, “perfect” skin tone, “perfect” chin, “perfect” chest, etc…

I am not exaggerating; this is our pagan history.  A new emerging market is just waiting to win acceptance and it will.  A new business, based on a false sense of compassion, will emerge from all this publicity, forcing younger and young girls and boys to submit to the driving winds of false “perfection” and a false sense of confidence.

The “cover girl” for this organization has another thing coming if she thought that the bullying would come to an end.  Bullies will come to an end, when we come to our senses and faith.

I could wear contacts.  I refuse to do so.  I consider wearing glasses as a great way to showcase something no one likes to show:  my weaknesses and failings.

This is what we need to see.  This is what the Lord wants us to see.  This is the beginning step towards walking on water. 

Mk 9:2-10 The Goal of Transformation

Mk 9:2-10  The Goal of Transformation

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Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves.  And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white.

The Apostles received, in the Lord’s transfiguration, a sneak preview of who Christ is and always will be:  the Son of God.  We too can expect something similar to this when we finally are who we were always meant to be:  an image and likeness of God.

We go to great lengths and take great care of our physical well being.  But like it or not, our physical well being is well connected to our spiritual well being.  A life of sin takes a heavy toll on the human body as much as a life of grace lifts the burdens off of many.   It is time we work on both. 

Most medical doctors do not think like social engineers.   They don’t tempt us, every time we go into their office, to add two additional arms or legs.  Why not?  After all, wouldn’t four hands be better than two?  Wouldn’t four arms make us more efficient?  I think so.  Think about it mom, imagine all the things you could juggle if you had four arms and four hands!  That’s twenty fingers!!!  No, most medical doctors will not go inside the human body unless it is absolutely necessary.  They won’t break a limb to make it a stronger limb.  They won’t replace a normal limb with a bionic limb unless it is absolutely necessary.  They won’t change a thing, unless it is killing the patient.

Thank God many medical doctors do not think like social engineers.  Most medical doctors tend to agree that the original design may not be the best design, or even the most efficient design, but it is the most authentic design; the one that best identifies with who we are and what we need.

But social engineers do not think like that.  They think they can do better.  They think children living with one mother and one father is old school or “the old normal”.  Now NBC is helping to spear head a new concept through a television series entitled, “The New Normal”.  Starting this Fall, we will be told by actors and actresses, in well rehearsed scripts, of what “The New Normal” looks like, lives and feels like.  I won’t go into all the details.  But I can tell you it is absolutely fictional. 

I love how the media works overtime and in overdrive to normalize dysfunction.  We first get a glimpse of it through TV, through actors and through scripts.  Most scripts tend to idealize the sick dreams of their sick creators.  Most sick directors tend to make certain sick characters appear healthy in their life choices and styles.  This type of social engineering reminds me of the sad disadvantage most of our students face when they leave our politically correct and lame schools.  They are shocked beyond consolation when their boss (teacher) tells them for the first time in their life that their work was late (tardy); that it was trash (not “their best effort”), that their presentation was pathetic (no participation certificate given this time), and that they will no longer be with the company (that they didn’t get a free pass to the next grade). 

The New Normal may appear normal on TV, but in real life, it will have devastating consequences on children and American society.  If we thought our schools were already collapsing, our children were already suffering and our marriages were already failing…wait and see what the social engineers will give to us next.         

The Lord appeared transfigured before His men.  He did not appear better than before; he did not appear more improved than before; He appeared authentically.

Before we try something new, let’s work in a state of grace.  Before we try replacing what we broke, let’s fix what we broke.  Before we do anything new, let’s fix the problem.  The goal in life is not to be better than before, stronger than before or even more efficient than before.  The goal in life is to be authentic:  an image and likeness of our Creator.